Sunday, December 2, 2012

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Daryl Boyle (Brandon, 2004-08) signed a one-year contract extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He has three goals and 10 assists in his second season in Augsburg, where he is the team captain.
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Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large has taken an extensive look at which WHL players might play for teams in the World Junior Championship. That is right here.
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It would appear that D Layne Viveiros of the Portland Winterhawks is leaving to play for Austria in the IIHF U20 Division 1 Group A championship in Amiens, France, Dec. 9-15. Viveiros, the 17-year-old son of former Prince Albert Raiders D Emanuel Viveiros, tweeted early today: “Last minute packing for tomorrow. Off to europe again #cant wait #teamAustria #3rdhome” . . . He has one assist in 15 games this season, after recording three assists in 39 games as a freshman last season. . . . Emanuel played four seasons (1982-86) with the Raiders. He is the head coach of the Austrian national team. One of his assistants is former WHL coach Rob Daum, the head coach of Black Wings Linz.
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The Portland versus WHL or, if you prefer, WHL versus Portland brawl isn’t going away any time soon.
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has his take on things right here.
I meant to provide a link yesterday to a piece by Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports. He begins with this: “One thing I’ve learned about the Portland Winterhawks — the rest of the WHL hates them.”
His complete piece is right here and it may be the most thorough explanation to date of exactly what happened.
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Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times has written more on the “major concussion study” that was published Friday in the journal Neurosurgical Focus. That piece is right here.
In this piece, Klein writes that Dr. Paul S. Echlin, a concussion specialist and researcher in Burlington, Ont., “said that dismissive attitudes toward head trauma persisted in hockey at all levels, despite the widespread attention on Sidney Crosby’s drawn-out recovery from concussion symptoms in 2011 and 2012.
“This is our national game which we all love,” Echlin wrote, “and it is time to consider a cultural shift to address the prevention and treatment of this serious brain injury that is occurring at epidemic proportions.”
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During the NHL craziness, Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has been writing about various aspects of The Game of hockey. His latest piece looks at hockey and how it is quickly becoming a sport for the elite. That piece is right here.
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So if you haven’t heard . . . the Saskatchewan Roughriders attempted to get into the Christmas spirit by putting a Yule log video on the big screen at Mosaic Stadium or Taylor Field or whatever it’s called. (It’ll always be Taylor Field for me, named after Piffles, you know.)
Anyway . . . there were at least four fire calls to 9-1-1. Seriously!
Deadspin puts its spin on the story right here, and make sure to read the comments.
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We are into Teddy Bear Game season (or toque toss), and here is some food for thought from an avid reader of this blog:
“I only want to say that people are allowed to throw other things than stuffed animals during those special nights . . . that each team is holding once a year. While Teddy Bears can be cute, they are nonetheless useless and not that much desired by kids. Or shelf bound after 2 days!!
“At the Teddy Bear Toss of the Surrey Eagles, like past years, I will be throwing kid's winter boots, scarves and toques, all brand new items of course. Every year I keep hoping that people will start to get it but it's a slow process. I have a friend from Manitoba and he is telling me that people in Brandon start to get it and a percentage of them throw other useful items along with the stuffies at the Wheaties’ annual Teddy Bear Toss. It all goes to the Salvation Army anyway, or other charities.
“I'm not sure if you agree with me or not, but I wanted to tell you and I hoped that maybe you could write a short note reminding people about it. The Teddy Bear Toss is a good idea, but I really think that other items are more needed by families in need.”
The writer also points out that $20 spent on a stuffie could buy a pair of boots/shoes in a bix box store like Walmart or Zellers (40 per cent off right now). . . . $20 could buy food for a day or two . . . $20 could buy toques and mittens.
“I understand that a Teddy Bear has the potential of warming up the heart of a child, but it's pointless if the child is cold or hungry.
“As well, firefighters and other parties are already doing a fantastic job in gathering toys for Christmas.
“Anyway, It's only my opinion.”
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, Morgan Klimchuk had a five-point night for the Pats, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 6-5 in OT to the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Klimchuk had two goals and three assists in the game’s first 29:23. . . . But it was Spokane D Tyler King who ended it, scoring his fifth goal of the season at 2:46 of extra time. . . . King is from Pilot Butte, Sask., a community just a couple of slapshots from Regina. . . . Spokane F Tyson Predinchuk, a freshman from Regina, had two assists. He had two assists in his previous 19 games. . . . The Chiefs are 5-0-1 in their last six. . . . F Lane Scheidl scored twice for the Pats, giving him 18. . . . Klimchuk has 16 goals. . . . Spokane had a 60-25 edge in shots. . . . Regina G Teagan Sacher stopped 54 of those but wasn’t one of the three stars. . . . It’s interesting that King was the first star, with Klimchuk second. . . . The Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals with F Carter Proft forcing OT at 6:59 of the third. . . . The Chiefs are 2-0 on their East Division swing. They play in Prince Albert on Tuesday. . . . Regina played this one without F Dryden Hunt, D Colton Jobke, F Trent Ouellette, D Kade Pilton, F Jack Rodewald, F Chandler Stephenson, F Dyson Stevenson and F Emil Sylvegard, all out with injuries or illness. . . . Regina, which lost 5-3 in Prince Albert on Friday, is at home to the Raiders tonight. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos blanked the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-0 as the goaltending tandem of Landon Bow and Eetu Laurikainen combined to stop 17 shots. . . . The Broncos gave the start to Bow, but he left with an injury at 16:49 of the first period after stopping all five shots he saw. Laurikainen, who had started 19 straight games, came off the bench. . . . Swift Current F Ryon Moser had two goals and an assist. . . . The Broncos were without F Daniel Dale, who drew a suspension after being hit with an instigating penalty in the last five minutes of Friday’s 7-2 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock sat out his fifth straight game with an undisclosed injury. The Wheaties also were missing D Eric Roy, D Rene Hunter, F Jack Palmer, F Tyrel Seaman, F Tim McGauley and F Jens Meilleur. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost five straight and nine of 10. . . . Swift Current beat Brandon three times in a week, outscoring it 15-4 in the process. . . .

In Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 21 shots to lead the Rebels to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Blades gave up two first-period goals and weren’t able to get back into this one. . . . The Rebels are 7-0-0 since owner/GM Brent Sutter stepped in as interim head coach. . . . Ch-ch-ching! Just in time for Christmas shopping, there was a line brawl at game’s end. Both teams will be contributing to the WHL office early in the week. . . . Bartosak has put up two shutouts in his last five outings. . . . The Rebels are into fourth in the Eastern Conference, just a point behind the Calgary Hitmen, who hold four games in hand. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk and F Elgin Pearce scored in the circus to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Craig Leverton scored for Lethbridge at 2:51 of the first period, with D Dylan Busenius scoring the Teddy Bear goal for the Tigers at 2:09 of the second. . . . Lethbridge Michael Sofillas (concussion) was back in the lineup after a 20-game absence. . . . Medicine Hat G Cam Lanigan stopped 41 shots, four more than Lethbridge’s Ty Rimmer. . . .

In Prince George, the Victoria Royals scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Cougars, 4-3. . . . The two teams played four times in eight nights, with the Royals winning three of them. . . . D Mark (Jimmy) McNulty scored his fifth goal at 10:16 of the second period to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead. . . . Royals F Mitch Deacon tied it at 12:15 of the third and D Brett Cote won it at 13:14. . . . The Cougars were without F Colin Jacobs after he drew a ‘tbd’ suspension for a headshot in Friday’s 2-0 loss to the Royals. . . .

In Vancouver, the Tri-City Americans pulled one out of the fire as they snuck past the Giants, 4-3. . . . Vancouver F Tristan Sieben gave the Giants a 3-2 lead at 12:39 of the third period. . . . Tri-City D Justin Hamonic tied it with his first goal this season at 17:49. . . . Americans F Beau McCue won it with a shorthanded goal at 19:54. . . . McCue, a 17-year-old freshman from Missoula, Mont., had another goal and an assist for the first three-point game of his career. . . . The Americans ended a three-game losing skid. . . . The Giants have lost seven in a row. . . . G Luke Lee-Knight, in his first appearance with the Americans this season, stopped 38 shots. . . . Vancouver G Liam Liston (ankle) turned aside 32 shots in his first appearance since Nov. 1. . . .

In Kamloops, the Moose Jaw Warriors got two goals in the circus and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Justin Kirsch and F Brayden Point scored in the shootout, while G Justin Paulic stopped both Kamloops shooters. . . . Blazers D Tyler Bell scored the game’s first goal, his first of the season and the second of his 81-game career, and it was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . During the break, Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi announced that the Blazers will retire D Scott Niedermayer’s No. 28 on Jan. 25 with the Prince Albert Raiders providing the opposition. Niedermayer (1989-92) had 190 points in 156 regular-season games and was on one Memorial Cup winner in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers have played in six straight one-goal games; they are 3-1-2 in those games. . . . Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly scored his sixth goal of the season and that equals a career high. He had six goals in 65 games as a freshman in 2010-11. Of course, a knee injury limited him to 18 games last season, and he finished with three goals. . . . The Blazers boarded their bus immediately after the game and headed for Kent, Wash., where they will play the Thunderbirds this evening. D Jordan Thomson (ill) wasn’t on the Blazers’ bus. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds got a pair of late goals and beat the Kelowna Rockets, 4-2. . . . The Thunderbirds held a 2-0 lead in the first period but the visitors tied it in the second. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore broke a 2-2 tie at 14:12 of the third. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle lost for the first time in seven decisions. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart played in his 300th regular-season game. He is sixth on the franchise’s career list, behind Glen Goodall (399), Tyler Metcalfe (333), Scott Jackson (326), Aaron Gagnon (318) and Rob Dumas (315). . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover stopped 37 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds have shut down F Tyler Alos, 19, for the remainder of this season with post-concussion syndrome. Alos, from Spokane, had three points in 10 games this season. He was in his fourth season with the Thunderbirds. Alos last played on Nov. 2. He returned that night after not playing since Oct. 19. . . . The Rockets were without F Colton Sissons, their captain, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Friday’s 3-2 victory over visiting Moose Jaw. . . . Kelowna also was without F Carter Rigby, who sat out a one-game suspension for coming off the bench and getting into an altercation at the end of the game with Moose Jaw. . . .

In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to six games with a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks (22-4-1) now are tied for first place atop the WHL’s overall standings with the Kamloops Blazers. Portland holds three games in hand. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic scored his 16th goal of the season to run his point streak to 15 games. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 29 shots, including a third-period stop on a penalty shot attempt by Everett F Manraj Hayer. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had a goal and an assist, giving him points in 20 his last 21 games. He has 41 points over that stretch. . . . Portland D Seth Jones had one assist and was plus-2 in his first regular-season game in Everett. The Silvertips selected him in the first round of the 2009 bantam draft. He chose not to sign with the Silvertips, who dealt his rights to Portland earlier this year. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported: “Everett's fans made sure Jones knew they didn't approve as the 4,957 in attendance booed him vociferously every time he touched the puck.” . . . "It was exciting," Jones told Patterson. “The fans were really into it, obviously. Every time I got the puck it was always an exciting atmosphere. It was good. You just have to laugh about it, really." . . . Patterson reported that Everett D Nick Walters sat out “as a result of damage sustained during a fight in Friday’s 4-0 victory over Vancouver.” . . . Portland F Taylor Peters sat out for what Patterson reported  were “undisclosed reasons.” . . . Everett visits Portland on Tuesday. . . . The Winterhawks are two games into a stretch in which they play 15 straight games against U.S. Division opponents.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Carter Proft, Spokane
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon
F Reid Petryk, Everett
D Sam Grist, Kamloops
F Justin Feser, Tri-City
D Zach Yuen, Tri-City

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Ryan Olsen, Kelowna
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From former Spokane Chiefs captain Darren Kramer (@DarrenKramer22): “I am a Chief for life but I will say I feel for Mike Johnston and the sanctions on the Portland Winterhawks. #toofar #relax”
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From Swift Current Broncos F Daniel Dale (@DDaleOne7): “A little vacation never hurt anyone #supsy”


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